How about Vesey, Sissons and Ryan Ellis for Nash. Nashville has the cap room to afford Nash. Vesey said he's going UFA, refusing to sign with Nashville but I'm confident the Rangers can sign him. Sissons will give the Rangers their next 4th line center for a decade. Gives the team 4-5 million in cap room, they can then trade Yandle for a forward to replace Nash. Gotta think Nashville, a win now team has to pull the trigger on that. Basically, all they are giving up is Sissons and Murphy for Nash because Vesey won't sign there. Murphy is right handed. He's got solid offensive upside. I would think Nash would go to Nashville. LOL. People seem to love it there. It's a hotspot to move. Guess Vesey doesn't think so. Nashville is not keeping those 4 defenseman together if they want to add a top 6 forward. Their minor league system sucks. They have very little to offer.
Dump I want to go back to an idea you brought up a month ago: Vrbata. Shoot first, right winger who can put the puck in the net. At the time the pundits were saying if VAN is in the race they can't afford to sell. No doubt the team stinks. However, that whole division stinks. They are currently in a playoff position, and if that stays true I don't see them selling. If they fall out of it, what would it take to get a guy like Vrbata as well as bringing back Prust? Both on expiring contracts. If we wait until the deadline no reason we can't fit these guys in with pro-rated hits. Prust would allow us to get Glass the hell out of the line up and add some more offense to the fourth line without a drop off in toughness. Can we get them with a 2nd, prospect (maybe a goalie prospect? Miller is ancient), and a youngster roster player they can develop like Etem? Nash-Brassard-Zuccarello Kreider-Stepan-Vrbata Lindberg-Hayes-Miller Prust-Moore-Fast I dont hate it. This significantly improves the second and fourth lines, and the more competent we can be on O and the more offensive zone time we can sustain, the less breakdowns we'll see in our own end. The two go hand in hand. Source: "The Fourth Period: If the Canucks are out of the playoff race by the trade deadline, they may look to move some of their pending free agents for draft picks and prospects. Pending unrestricted free agents include Radim Vrbata, Brandon Prust, Dan Hamhuis, Yannick Weber and Matt Bartkowski. Vrbata and Hamhuis have full no-trade clauses. Hamhuis is out until early February at the earliest with a concussion and recovery from facial surgery."
You probably could swing Vrbata with a 2nd and a prospect like Saarela or Halverson which im sure they'd jump on.
No way on trading Saarela or any pick above the 3rd round. This farm needs to be built up big time. They stole Saarela. They do not need to trade picks. They need to acquire them. Saving grace is that they have found some later round gems like Saarela, Buchnevic, Graves, Kovacs and Tambellini. Some of those guys might take until 23 like Lindberg to figure it out. However, they drafted some real steals. That being said, it's time to get back to having first round picks.
On a side note. I'm all in favor of Glass and Nieves for Prust. Prust is a FA after next year. Unlike Glass, he can still play some. For some reason, they I heard they still like Glass in Vancouver.
That wouldn't be bad getting Prust for the rest of the year as they need a 4th line upgrade, though id even rather have Purcell. I think Nieves still has decent upside.
One thing I'm sensing is this fan base is completely turned off by this team and is starting to not watch the games.
I think when fans get spoiled by all the winning we have done the past couple of seasons that is bound to happen when you struggle. With that said there is A LOT of hockey left to play. The final chapters are far from written this season. I think we need a move to shake things up, but overall I still remain hopeful this team will hit its stride.
I've heard the term "unwatchable" from a lot of fans lately. I myself have found it hard to watch full games due to the fact our 4 to 6 million dollar defenseman make no effort to cover anybody.
It is tough right now, and we are used to much better. I think it will get better...it has to because it really can't much worse than the past 10 or so games.
Absoulutely right....and how about our 6.5 mil dollar man and supposed team leader Stepan with pts 13 in 27 games ! This guy somehow escapes criticism but is invisible 2 out of 3 nights along with his buddy Kreider. Injured constantly and looks 3 steps too slow...but paid like a top contributor. Add another underachiever to Sather's crop.
The team has no identity this year. Roster is either full of pussies or players that play like pussies and shouldn't. The lack heart. Half the roster doesn't try. Again, we have to watch reject Glass out there because he blows AV on a regular basis.
Hayes is doing a lot to get traded. First, he's been dogging it all season. Second, doesn't skate with the non dressed guys. McIlrath always does. Big difference in attitude.
I don't think the latter is on Hayes. I think they held him from skating with the extras (McIlrath) because he maybe was going to play if Kreider didn't feel okay in warm-ups. So that isn't on Hayes. With that said, from what I have read his attitude has been piss poor. He has acted as if he was entitled to a top spot. Confidence is good, but not if it clouds who you really are and what you are actually doing. He needs to grow up is how I would sum it up based on what I have read. Overall I have no issue dealing Hayes if we can package him with Staal (or Yandle if Staal won't move) for a proven upgrade at forward, which we badly need. But I wouldn't trade him unless we get real good solid value for him...that would be counterproductive IMO.
Happy New Years everyone. Nice to see a win over Tampa. We are still in a good spot in the standings so our rough patch didn't kill us too badly(thank god for the fast start). Rangers dilemma right now is how to get Big Mac who was their best righty D while girardi and klein were out back on the ice consistently. Problem is you have Klein with too good a contract too trade, Boyle who I will admit has really picked up his game(at least offensively) which the team needs now and Girardi who has been a team mainstay for a long time but whether from injury, old age or whatever is now more a liability then an asset. AV won't sit vets so unless Girardi's knee condition gets worse or somehow gorton gets him to approve a trade I don't see Dylan getting much time the rest of the season outside of another injury which is a shame as the kid brings a lot to the table on the defensive side especially and eventually offensively with his shot from the point. I think a trade is forthcoming in the near future and will be interesting to see who gorton gives and who or what(draft picks) the gets back. Keep the faith everyone. Theres still some life in this team.
I 100% think McIlrath will get plenty of chances to play as this long season moves forward. He should not play over Girardi (the answer is not to simply scratch Girardi and play McIlrath), but I believe he will get plenty of games resting other dmen and when other dmen get bumps and bruises, which will happen. Long season...McIlrath will get his chances...I have no doubt there.
Dylan's chances to play though can't be one game in every 10 games. He needs to play much more often than that. And I DO doubt that AV will play him often enough to keep him fresh
